Get Your Grand Central Terminal Coffee-Table Book

Grand Central Terminal turned 100 this year and the anniversary is being celebrated with the release of a 224-page coffee-table book about the Terminal, Gannett’s Haley Viccaro reports.

“Grand Central Terminal: 100 Years of a New York Landmark” was written by the New York Transit Museum and author Anthony Robins. The book includes 250 photographs from the photo collections of the Transit Museum and Metro-North Railroad.

“We sought to spotlight Grand Central Terminal as a unique public space where over the years, people have come to celebrate, to mourn and to just pass the time amidst truly spectacular surroundings,” said Transit Museum Director Gabrielle Shubert in a statement.

Many of the photos in the book were captured by Frank English, a recently retired Metro-North photographer, the MTA said. He took photos of the terminal for 30 years and said he saw many changes, but that the terminal never looked as good as it does today.

“It was always an interesting place, but today, I really enjoy it being cleaner, safer and much more of a destination,” English said in a statement.

Readers will have the opportunity to view behind-the-scenes photos that individuals don’t get to see. The photos also highlight the daily life and routine of the Terminal filled with commuters and visitors.

The book has eight chapters including Grand Central Before the Terminal, Behind the Scenes and a chapter exclusive to its motion picture history. The terminal was featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s movie North by Northwest in 1959.

Author Anthony Robins has written about New York City’s architecture and history for the past 30 years. Tony Hiss, who wrote the introduction, is an author and longtime contributor to The New Yorker.

“This richly illustrated book brings to life the history and glamour of the Terminal where some of us are privileged to work,” said Metro-North President Howard Permut in a statement.

The book is available in bookstores for $40 and is also for sale at the Transit Museum and the Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store in Grand Central Terminal.